


Large Favours

by MagpieSong



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Orlais, Val Royeux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 13:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8715451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpieSong/pseuds/MagpieSong
Summary: Sequel to 'Small Favours' - Nadine enjoys the remainder of time from a small business trip to Val Royeux and does a little shopping therapy. (There's shopping therapy and then there's Cass in a book store omg)





	

The breeze was rather roughly gusting in from the port, carrying with it the sharp cries of sea birds. Nadine’s heavy coat flapped, slapping the back of her legs as she nearly pranced into the market area. She beamed up at the brilliant blue skies and clutched at her scarf in excitement. Vivienne smiled, Cassandra grunted.  
“Come on, now, seeker, you can’t say your heart’s not set to pitter-patter at the idea of a good bookshop, right?” Varric smirked, folding his arms. “I hear the one on the east side of the market has some interesting romance literature that might pique your interest…”  
Cassandra made a strangled noise that sounded like it was supposed to be disgusted mixed in with girlish excitement.  
Nadine’s eyes glimmered. “Ooooh I wonder if we can find anything useful there.”  
“Come now, my dear”, Vivienne began curtly. “Whilst I truly appreciate your fervour for supporting the Inquisition at all times, I have to say at least give yourself a few hours to…well, to yourself. If you keep at it too long, you’re liable to burn out.”  
“Iron Lady’s right, Sunshine. Not everything has to be about furthering the cause.”  
“Well, I think we would be wise to keep our ears and eyes open while we’re here”, Cassandra argued. “We should remember that our continued efforts are what keeps the Inquisition afloat, and not let our petty wants get in the way of that…although I do not think that means we cannot enjoy ourselves, either.”  
Varric huffed, but Vivienne perked up. “You’ve brought forth a compelling argument, my dear. I have to say I agree with you. Varric, I understand wanting to give the Inquisitor a proper break, but the real world works a little differently to how we want it to, I’m afraid.”  
The dwarf chuckled. “Its always worth a shot, though, right?”  
“Your efforts so far have been admirable”, she smiled a little.  
With that, they began to make their way around the market district, stopping into every shop possible along their way, buying interesting items along their way. Nadine didn’t have a lot of money with her, but she seemed to be the most pleased to buy little gifts for all her friends.  
They found their way into a small, shabby store with a low ceiling. The salesman greeted them kindly as they shuffled in to look at the wares. Vivienne immediately gagged at the smell.  
“Maker, it smells like Ferelden dog Lord in here”, she covered her mouth and nose hastily, looking around for what could only be a pair of adorable mabari puppies sitting in a pen on the right side of the room.  
“Ah, yes, ze puppies are due for a bath today in fact”, said the man. “I do apologist for ze smell, but it cannot be elped. Zese dogs are already sold and will be leaving ze store tomorrow. But, can I help you with somezing else, perhaps?”  
Nadine beamed at the man. “Yes, I’m looking at collars. Do you have any that would fit a large cat?”  
Ten minutes later, after much deliberation, all four of them marched from the store, Nadine clutching a beautiful sea green collar made of deepstalker hide, with a lovely ring velvet bow and a stormheart buckle.  
Varric had a forlorn look on his face as they meandered through the market place. Cats always made him think about Anders and thus, Hawke.  
“Ferdinand is going to look just marvellous in that new collar, I just know it, my dear”, Vivienne smiled broadly.  
Nadine beamed right back as she tucked the collar into one of the inside pockets of her coat. “Is anyone else getting a bit hungry?”  
Cassandra finally smiled. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in getting something to eat, Inquisitor.”  
“You know you really need to stop with the titles, Cass”, she replied sharply. “I understand when it’s for show, but we’re out incognito today – no one’s going to recognise us. There’s really no need for formality.”  
“I’m sorry, Nadine”, she said slowly. “I’m just so used to it; it’s almost become like a second name for you. I’ll try to keep myself from using it too much, but no promises.”  
Varric chuckled. “Close enough, seeker.”  
They made their way to the open cafe, Le Masque Du Lion, ordered and claimed a table. Nadine sat next to Vivienne and Cassandra, grudgingly, next to Varric. They chatted briefly about their plans for the rest of the afternoon whilst waiting for the food to arrive.  
Finally, out from the doors came two serving ladies carrying two dishes each, which they placed on the table in a flourishing bow. Varric tossed a few extra coins to the two woman as a tip, who smiled graciously before returning indoors.  
As he sat back in his chair, ready to inspect the food they’d received, Vivienne thought it apt to inform him that tipping the ladies was a grand offense in Orlais as it was seen to be paying for services and diminished the ladies’ honour as servers.  
Cassandra immediately began to titter and finally broke out into fully fledged laugher. Nadine joined in and even the mage allowed herself a little giggle. Varric sighed and filed a note in the back of his mind to apologise on the way out.  
The small group ate in silence – the food was so delicious they couldn’t really spare a moment to talk about it until after. Cassandra slumped back into her chair with a satisfied sigh. “I have to admit that was one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.”  
“We ought to recruit their cook”, Nadine remarked with a grin.  
“Or at least get one of the Nightingale’s spies to thieve their recipe book”, added Varric with a sly smile.  
“That sounds like quite a good idea, if you ask me”, said Vivienne. “The chef at Skyhold is excellent, of course, but the cuisine here is simply divine and, dare I say, holds no match, at least in this part of Thedas.”  
“It would be no small feat to secure the ingredients, however”, Nadine deflated a little as she bathed a chunk of meat in the lake of gravy on her plate. “Perhaps instead we could find an Orlesian recipe book and adapt it to what we have access to? I’m certain we could make some delicious meals.”  
“Good thinking, sunshine”, said Varric, thumbing his chin as he stared out over the market square.  
“That settles it”, added Cassandra, eyes burning. “We are most certainly visiting the bookshop before we depart.”  
Nadine grinned as she nibbled on the edge of her crusty bread, placing her cutlery down on the near empty place. “While you and Varric head off to secure some appropriate literature, I think I’ll go run a few errands. Vivienne, you can show me around, I hope?”  
“Of course, dear”, she replied, rubbing her hands with anticipation.  
The group finished off their meal in silence and when one of the ladies arrived to take their plates, Varric made such a show of apologising that it caused Vivienne a fair amount of bemusement.  
They headed out into the near blinding sunlight and Cassandra split away, heading for the quiet section of the markets, the dwarf in tow at her heels. Nadine smiled warmly as she watched them leave, then turned to her companion, who was doing an exceptional job at hiding her curiosity.  
She folded her arms, almost smirking at her fellow mage. “Of course, I can’t keep it to myself for long, can I?”  
Vivienne allowed herself a broad smile as she turned away to lead them towards the upper levels of the main market area. “Absolutely not. I have noted that you haven’t purchased anything for Mr Tethras just yet.”  
“Observent as always”, she responded, slinking into the shade of the crimson sails and beginning to take the stairs two at a time. “Varric has been a good friend to me and I owe him more than a few favours. He’s been great company for me in times of difficulty.”  
“Have you given much thought to your purchase?”  
Nadine smiled, coming to a halt before the open doors of an art supply. “I may have noticed that he is in dire need of new quills and some quality inks…and his pipe was lost when we fled Haven.”  
Vivienne wrinkled her nose a little at the thought of smoking a pipe, but pushed her comment to the back of her mind as the lady behind the counter greeted them warmly and introduced herself.  
“Good day to you, Lady De’Muis. I’m seeking a quill with high durability and some inks suitable for an experienced scribe”, Nadine smiled at the woman, pulling out a slightly bent, black quill from one of her many pockets. “I’d also like to replace this quill if you have something similar?”  
De’Muis pushed her spectacles further up the bridge of her nose, taking the large raven feather in her hands and examining it for a few moments. “I shall start with zis first. I’m afraid vee do not stock raven quills at ze moment, however I can offer you several different quills zat are similar if you are interested?”  
Nadine sighed. “I see…Alright, let me see what you’ve got that might be suitable for me.”  
“May I ask vhat zis quill is to be used for and how often?” she said, leading her down one of the short aisles as Vivienne took a seat on the bench.  
“Erm, well I mainly use it to write letters and some smaller correspondence”, Nadine replied. “I write fairly often, to my family and colleagues, but my documents aren’t large or fancy. I need something a bit more sturdy than my old quill, however. And I’m kind of a fan of dark colours…”  
After much discussion, Nadine was settled with a dark indigo quill with a beautiful emerald iridescence to it. She had also picked out a large crimson quill with gold fittings and a number of inks in various colours for Varric. It wasn’t a commonly used quill due to the price, but it came with several fittings and a matching bottle to hold the ink.  
Upon request, the shopkeeper wrapped up the giftware and placed it in a long box with a thick red ribbon tied in a bow.  
“My thanks for your assistance, Lady De’Muis”, Nadine beamed as she headed back out into the brilliant sunlight. Vivienne followed in silence.  
They walked briskly through the upper level until they came upon a store selling various trinkets and, happily, smoking pipes. Nadine pressed against the glass, staring in awe at the finely crafted items and her companion resisted the urge to drag her away. Instead she petted her shoulder firmly and showed her inside.  
The man behind the counter was large and jolly with a generously sized moustache and exquisite clothes. He greeted them with a huge smile and immediately began to try and sell them things they didn’t want or need.  
After several minutes of rapid blabbing, Vivienne cut him off, almost coldly, and informed him they were interested in the smoking pipes he had displayed in the window.  
He grinned, taking a huge breath and was about to launch into a spiel when Nadine held up her hand, causing him to fall silent.  
“I will ask you questions and you will answer. I will decide what I want to buy on my own, and you will thank me for my business, okay?”  
His moustache quivered and he dabbed his forehead with a brightly coloured hankerchief. “Of course, Mademoiselle.”  
“Thankyou, Ser”, she replied as he lead her over to the corner of the store and wheeled the display around to begin showcasing the items.  
After several minutes of deliberation, the duo emerged from the store with a cherry wood pipe, beautifully engraved with vines and roses.  
“You handled him very well”, Vivienne suddenly spoke as they made their way down the stairway to the lower level. She beamed at her companion, eyes burning with pride.  
“I learned from the best”, replied Nadine, stowing the item in one of her inner pockets. “But he was good at his job. Almost had me wanting to buy up the whole store!”  
They met up with Varric and Cassandra, who was beaming maniacally, and followed by a small group of kids laden with books. Varric simply gave Nadine that knowing look they often shared on missions and he shrugged as she raised an eyebrow.  
“Paid off some street kids to do the dirty work, since I had some spare change”, he responded to her unspoken question.  
Vivienne almost scowled. “And why not simply have them delivered to Skyhold?”  
“I’m afraid we didn’t quite have as much coin remaining as expected”, interjected Cassandra with an almost sheepish expression. “We had to opt for a different method.”  
Nadine grinned at her and motioned for them to follow. She led the way out of the markets district, down the main road and away from the bustling city crowds. After a few minutes of walking, they reached Marye and Pelwinn, two scouts they’d brought to take care of the wagon and horses while they were gone.  
Cassandra immediately enlisted them with the task of loading the books and other items into the wagon. Varric dismissed the kids with a handful of gold and a small box of hard candies to share between them. Vivienne, meanwhile, had secured her baggage and gracefully mounted her dappled grey horse, surveying the road ahead.  
Nadine simply smiled as she helped the scouts to load the wagon, much to Cassandra’s chagrin.  
The sun was beginning the descent from the sky by the time they were prepared to leave. Vivienne took the lead, Cassandra by her side on a spirited strawberry roan stallion. Varric was perched on the rear seat of the wagon with the two scouts, looking like he was missing something important.  
Nadine mounted Lumi, her snow white mare, and took up position beside the wagon.  
Vivienne set a brisk but comfortable pace, leading them down the well-worn stone road that skirted around one end of the Waking Sea and back towards the Frostback Mountains. They travelled for three hours before it was time to make camp, and they found a small, secluded clearing a ways from the road that would provide some protection from the elements.  
The group worked in silence to set up camp, Marye and Pelwinn foraging for firewood while Cassandra and Vivienne pitched the tents and Nadine prepared the evening meal. Varric kept a keen eye on their surroundings as he made to tie up the horses.  
After quite some time, the group finally sat down for their evening meal of vegetable curry with crusty Orlesian bread and soft cheese. It was a little extravagant, but well worth what they had spent on the ingredients.  
As usual, the two scouts prompted Varric for a tale, to which he gladly obliged, telling them of one of the times Hawke and Anders had forged offensive letters from various corrupt officials in Kirkwall, all of which were addressed to Knight-Commander Meredith.  
When the fire began to die down, they gradually began to turn in, until only Nadine and Varric remained, watching the coals pulse with heat and the low flames dance merrily.  
“I’m glad you came, Varric”, she said finally, smiling across at him. “Cassandra doesn’t smile nearly as much without you around. And Vivienne can be hard for the others to tolerate, at times.”  
He almost blushed and opted to change the subject. “I, ah. I got you something while we were in Val Royeux, sunshine”, he said slowly, turning to pick up a box that had been hidden behind the log he was sitting on. “Its nothing much, but you have a lot of pressure on you these days and, well, I thought a gift might lighten things a little.”  
She grinned at him. “I appreciate it, I really do. I have to admit I owed you a few favours so I got you some things as well.”  
“Things?” he raised an eyebrow. “I’m flattered. Truly.”  
Nadine retrieved the quill box from the wagon and presented it to him, taking her own, strangely heavy box in exchange. When prompted, she consented to open hers first.  
Inside was a beautiful white porcelain teapot painted with gilded silver trees, gold leaves and little painted red apples. It was the perfect size and the shape indicated it was imported from the Free Marches.  
She gasped as she plucked it from the box, eyes watering. “Varric, its beautiful. I can’t thank you enough!” she gushed, turning it over and over to scrutinise the designs on it. “Oh my, its just a wonderful thing to have, isn’t it. Thankyou so much. I love it to pieces.”  
He grinned, fiddling with the bow on the rectangle box sitting in his lap, wondering what lay within. The box was almost ornate with swirls and little circles painted on it and it made him a little concerned that she had spent a lot of money on this gift.  
At last, the lid came off, revealing the perfectly sized crimson quill and array of inks. He ogled them silently for a few moments, then looked up at her, puzzled. “But this must have cost a small fortune!”  
It was Nadine’s turn to grin. “That’s not all I got”, she announced, fishing through her pockets. The carved smoking pipe emerged after a moment of searching and he was doubly shocked as she passed it to him.  
“I…I don’t know what to say, sunshine. I don’t really think I quite deserve this…” he said slowly, alternating between admiring the pipe and inspecting the inks.  
“Just shut up and accept the gifts”, she laughed, reminding him, with a painful twinge of his heartstrings, of Hawke. He watched mutely as she withdrew a pouch of tea from one of her inner pockets and set about preparing her new teapot. “I’ll take the first watch”, she said, finally setting it down in the coals by the edge of the fire. “We’ve got a long road ahead, so get some rest.”  
He nodded solemnly and offered a small smile. “Goodnight, Nadine”, he got to his feet and made his way to the tent, turning as he reached the flap to gaze at her as she stared into the heart of the fire, her face a beacon of reflected light.  
He whispered a thankyou into the cold night air, before turning in for the night.


End file.
